He revolutionized
video games by focusing on
characters and game play instead
of high scores.
Miyamoto's
philosophies have influenced
the entire gaming industry.
When he was young
he drew comics. He joined Nintendo to design toys.
His most famous creations are Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, and the Legend of Zelda.
His own goal is to create "kyokan," a shared experience between a designer and player. "That's the point," he has said, "Not to make
something sell, but to make
something that we can love."
When Nintendo started making video games, Shigeru helped out by creating artwork and characters for the games.
Miyamoto's games are
inspired by sports, music, gardening, and his childhood explorations of Kyoto.
Before Donkey Kong,
video games were made by
engineers not designers. Miyamoto
knew that his first game would have to
sell well if he wanted to make another one.
Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese artist and video game designer.
He is considered "the father of modern video games."
Photo illustration by John Ritter
Shigeru Miyamoto